June 25, 2014

Hey Mama!

So yeah. It's either down pouring like none other or it's just really hot and humid. Both are not the most pleasant thing for a bike. We got transfer calls today and we're both staying another one and I just figured I'll die here cause I don't think the new mission president will do anything with me for one transfer. So It's kinda weird I have two left, While most of my friends are all on missions. haha It's ok. I'll make new ones. It's been an interesting week. It went by pretty quick we had some ups and some downs. Since we're staying this will be my 11th transfer on a bike.. Out of 17 transfers. So if I do die here that'll be 12 on a bike. And I swear I gain weight in a bike area. I lose weight super quick in a car cause I have more energy when I wake up and am more conscious of what I eat. On a bike I'm constantly hungry so I eat whatever is available and am dead tired most of the time. It's ridiculous. haha Oh well. It's been pretty hot here. I look forward to the day where I'm not sweating every ounce of moisture in my body haha It'll be weird to not sweat. cause you don't have to be doing anything here and you'll just sweat. haha So yeah. As you saw. We got caught in the rain this last week we were like 3 miles away from our apartment and we were on foot cause we got dropped off by some members. haha so we thought we were fine trying a couple of formers and then we get out of one of the houses and it's just dark outside. And we're like... "Crap....." hahaha so we started walking home and Ohio just doesn't rain lightly. It's a friggin shower. and in an instant it just dumped on us and we got so soaked. haha So we tried to find shelter under some trees and hid our ties cause they were silk (I just happened to wear my favorite on that day) and then we shoved our BoM's in our pants. The trees didn't offer too much protection. We couldn't call anyone for help cause the phone was too wet haha so we just decided to book it to the nearest members house. Which was like a mile or little less away. Uphill. hahah So we're running and we're just laughing cause of how ridiculous it was. haha It's moments like these that make a mission a mission. Who else would brave whatever weather the world has to share something about Christ? haha So we get close to the members house (that's where the pics came from) and this lady stops and asks if we want a ride and we were like... Yeah!! haha So she's like "You guys mormon??" we're like yeah and she continued on to tell us her grandpa was Mormon and died 8 years ago and missionaries stopped by and she said she wanted to talk to us! So it was cool! Lord works in very mysterious ways. haha

Umm Richard and Tina are doing well. They're pretty dang solid. They're really hospitable haha we stopped by yesterday to get a DVD I forgot there and they were like come in! and they fed us Steak and Salmon on the spot and then we read the Book of Mormon with them and had a cool experience! Other than that we're doing a lot of biking and sweating. I do get worried some days cause my body feels like it's gonna fail me some days but the lord helps out with that. It's a weird thing when you can see the Spirit sanctify you. Cause I should be dead by now!! hahaha but I'm grateful for the experience. So some funny things. There's a guy who has super long hair and a beard and kinda looks like Jesus a little. But every time he sees us he flips us off or causes at us. (We had a lot of that this past week being called fags and all that good stuff) We had that happen like 5 times there was one hard day of all biking and we had a lot of crap happen and then just little stuff like that kinda set me off a little. Haha I'm human. but yeah. Interesting stuff. We found quite a bit last week and had fun times with two exchanges. I had E. Peterson here with me on Tuesday and that was really cool. I like him a lot. and then the ZL's came on Thursday. And I had to go get new shoes (well I didn't cause I couldn't find any in my size) but I got a new shirt to come home with so I can burn all the crap ones I have. (Mine are so faded and worn it's ridiculous but they've lasted my whole mish!) and So I just got a brown belt so I can wear my brown shoes cause my other black ones are destroyed and the other ones I wear were soaking wet! haha So that was good stuff.... Crazy. Other than that not much has happened. I'm still trucking along and doing my best. I'm still alive.!! Thank you all for your prayers and love and support! It means a lot! Will you get me Charity's address so I can just write my next letter to her? Thanks!! You can get it through Mike. But yeah. Glad things are going well back home!! Can't wait to see you soon!

Love,

Elder Derrek Bowler